After winning six consecutive races in the winter and spring (then two more in June and two this month), Chevy teams seemed outraged by the Pocono result.

Whether they were truly upset or simply looking for sympathy was hard to tell since they still lead the other brands combined in victories and top-five finishes.

Those drivers and owners seem to have forgotten that as they loaded up to fly home and lick their wounds until Sunday's race in Talladega, Ala.

``It's one thing when Ford beats us down the straightaways,'' said Gordon, who won here in June, ``but it's another when they kill us down the straightaways and beat us through the turns.''

Rick Hendrick, whose three teams have combined for six victories, 22 top-fives and are 1-3-7 in standings this year, said he knew it was coming. ``I've said all along that NASCAR would see a difference when the Ford teams got their act together,'' he said. ``When you're beat by 20 horsepower, then NASCAR gives them the rear window and the downforce and everything else, well... .''

Richard Childress said his Chevy team is handicapped by rules that benefit Ford. But in truth, it was his crew that cost driver Dale Earnhardt three spots on the last lap July 14 in New Hampshire and it was Earnhardt who stalled his car at Pocono and cost himself a lap.

``Today and the New Hampshire race are indications of how bad it is for Chevrolet,'' he said. ``We're frustrated because we're at a handicap, so we do things we shouldn't to make up for it. It's just going to keep getting worse.''

Even points-leader Terry Labonte lobbed a few volleys NASCAR's way. ``It's ridiculous how the rules are so far out of whack,'' he said after one of his worst running finishes all season. ``They kept penalizing the good teams; that's all they were doing with the rules changes.''

Marlin drew on some Tennessee humor to make his point. ``We were first in class, but it was like going to a gun fight with a knife,'' the two-time winner said. ``If NASCAR can't see'' what's wrong, ``then I don't know what the problem is. Today, the Fords drove off and left us. We just got whipped.''

Which is exactly what Ford teams were saying after Chevys won consecutive races at Rockingham, Richmond, Atlanta, Darlington, Bristol and North Wilkesboro before Wallace stopped the streak at Martinsville.

Now a four-time '96 winner, Wallace wishes everybody would quit carping about rules. ``I said at the beginning of the year I'm tired of talking about them,'' he said. ``Monte Carlo has had a change in the rear and Thunderbird has had a change in the roof, and competition is awfully equal.

``So both cars have been modified equally on the race track. The rest of the Ford guys might say we need more, but I think it's time to stop talking and go racing.''